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Army moves forward with plan to cut 8,700 civilian staff

The brunt of the Army's plan to cut 8,700 positions by October 2012 will take place within the Installation Management Command, Army Materiel Command, and Training and Doctrine Command.

Ninety percent of the cuts will come from these three commands, the Defense Department said in a release.

DoD said it has identified 70 locations in eight commands and 37 states that will be affected by the workforce reduction.

"Army commands and agencies are continuing to take necessary actions to reduce their civilian on-board strength to meet funded targets established by the secretary of defense and reflected in the President's Budget," said Thomas R. Lamont, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, in the release.

Commanders are allowed to use early retirements and buyouts, and Lamont said the Army will use voluntary departures whenever possible.

Nearly half of the cuts will be at the Installation Management Command, and the Army Materiel Command must cut more than 1,200 positions. AMC has targeted 33 positions for early retirements or buyouts and will not fill 41 vacant positions, according to an email from an AMC's spokesperson in November.

The Army first announced its plan in July to cut thousands of positions in line with DoD's reduced budget in the President's 2012 budget request.